Category: Motivation

Today’s Motivation Monday comes from an article we love from Success.com by Kim Orlesky. We hope you appreciate it as much as we did!

As she sat across from me in the boardroom, having just finished telling me her goals for the next year, I could see a mix of excitement and insecurity in her eyes. Her goals were lofty—her financial goals, where she wanted to see her business flourish and the customers she wanted to reach. She told me she dreamed of retiring on a beach in Costa Rica within the next five years. Nothing she said was unreasonable, but I knew she had a difficult path in front of her.

There are a lot of actions that we need to take to get where we are going. Those who are committed to do anything and everything to make their dreams a reality need to create momentum.

1. How determined are you?

Asking “are you willing to do whatever it takes?” creates a movement inside you and has you consider the actions you really need to take. If the answer is anything but yes, then the goal isn’t right. You need to go back and choose something you are willing to do anything to achieve. For many people, the answer is an immediate and resounding yes—the goal is so big, so lofty and so inspiring, they would do whatever it takes to get there.

2. Think outside the box.

If you are willing to do whatever it takes to get to your goal, the follow-up question is: “What do you need to get there?” This is where people start to struggle. In many cases, the actions people take are the correct ones—consistent actions that propel you toward your goal. But if that was enough, why aren’t you closer to your goal by now? Consider what else you could do to get there. Who could you contact that has succeeded in the past? What groups, classes or events could you join?

3. Step outside of your comfort zone.

If you are willing to do anything to achieve your goal, that also means taking actions you’ve never taken before. This might mean contacting people above you, making financial investments you might not feel entirely ready for, or seeking out opportunities for increased brand exposure. Whatever it is, you need to move past the fear and be willing to take the first step forward. If you stay where you are, you will never get closer to your goal.

4. Take massive action.

Beyond doing the actions that will bring you closer to your goals, you must also be willing to dream and act bigger. You cannot win big contracts if you’re not willing to reach out to decision makers at large organizations. You cannot be given opportunities to speak on large stages if you don’t contact the organizers. Those who are willing to do whatever it takes will look toward their ultimate dream and take the necessary massive action to bring immediate results, instead of hoping they will eventually work their way up to that point. There’s a saying that if you never ask, the answer will always be no, but if you just ask, you might get a yes.

5. Follow up and follow through.

It is not enough to take massive action once, you must do it over and over. You might put in your requests and never hear back. This could happen several times. People get busy; they forget about emails; they never check their voicemail—no different than you or me. You might have to follow up several times before receiving a response. You might have to make several presentations before you finally nail it. Once that moment hits, express it with gratitude and ensure the person and opportunity is not forgotten. Use that moment as momentum for your next big step, because you were willing to do whatever it takes to get to your goal—and you will be able to do it all over again.

What are the routines or daily habits of successful people? This is one of the questions I tried to answer in my recent collaboration Rebecca Livermore, The Daily Entrepreneur.

This is a big question, and an important one, for anyone trying to achieve success. In today’s post, fans of “The Daily Entrepreneur”, and those just wanting a few ideas on how to achieve more success in their lives, are in for a treat with another viewpoint on this topic, featuring the health and mindfulness rituals of success.

Adnan is a businessman, marketer, blogger and author with a lot of experience building and keeping his own entrepreneur daily routines. Enough from me, take it away Adnan….

The way we care for ourselves mentally and physically has as much to do with success as any entrepreneurial routines. In this article we cover the body, mind and spirit of the entrepreneur.

What are the routines or daily habits of successful people?

The Misconception:

Many people think entrepreneurs are machines. We eat, drink, sleep and digest work 24/7. We believe we have to be ‘on’ constantly and burn ourselves out in order to reach success. We don’t. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to feeling guilty about how much work we needed to be doing in order to justify our days off.

Making sure we are not killing ourselves in the interim is the key to our success. An entrepreneur will have nothing left to give to our business or clients if we burn ourselves out!

So, what do successful entrepreneurs do?

They make sure they create and maintain daily health and well-being routines. Sticking to it has its many rewards. You have to simply prioritize the important aspects of your life to create a balance.

Not everything that works for you will work for someone else. You have to come to the determination of what works best for you. Only you know what your priorities are.

Don’t make the mistake that so many others make. Don’t try and model your priorities around someone else. You are like a finger print and are vastly different from others.

Daily Morning Routine Examples:

If you are a morning person then capitalize on that. Wake up and be ready to seize the day! If you are lousy in the middle of the day then take a few hours off—take a nap or read for fun, meditate. Do whatever gets you back on track.

Exercise in the Morning

Many people may not desire a daily exercise routine, but it is very important. We have found, through polls and interviews, that most successful entrepreneurs have an exercise routine. Even if it is just walking.

Getting the blood flowing with some light daily exercise is the key to a healthy head that is clear and ready to work. Blood flow and lymph circulation are essential for a clear mind and healthy body. We have to have a healthy mind in order to process the information we will be collecting all day. A home exercise routine is the perfect way to get this blood flowing.

Eat Breakfast!

The fact that everyone says this is the most important mean of the day is no myth. It’s essential. Your body has been resting and healing itself all night.

So, now it needs fuel other than coffee and stimulants to get started. If you don’t eat well in the morning you’ll experience fatigue crash by the early afternoon. This just kills productivity.

Get Up Before the Family

Most successful female entrepreneurs will actually get up one hour prior to the family in order to get some time to themselves. There is a lot to be said for this.

The best rituals are the ones that will put you in the mood you need to be in for the day. If by chance you start off your day badly or negatively in any way, you will snowball that into your day for sure.

There is truth the the old adage of “waking up on the wrong side of the bed”. Start your day positively and with energy and your day will follow the same way, like falling dominoes.

Crazy Routines of Successful People:

Winston Churchill, one of the former Prime Ministers of England had an unlikely routine. However it is a great example of tailoring what works for your success and it will certainly pull you out of your 9-5 grind.

Churchill would begin his day in bed until 11:00am. He woke at 7:30. He was brought his breakfast, made his secretaries take dictation and read his mail.

He stopped by his office space in the house for about an hour and then, ate lunch from 1:00 to 3:30 pm with colleagues and family. Discussed his day and made small talk over a 3-4 course meal.

He believed that quality time made him better at what he did. He worked until roughly 5pm and engaged in a nap for about an hour and a half. Then, he worked until dinner at 8pm. This is with the same family and his guests. He would then work for another hour or so before turning in again.

This is not a goal for everyone to strive for, but an example of how you can model many of the “normal” routines into any abnormal lifestyle. The important part is making these routines and rituals a part of your everyday life.

More Entrepreneur Daily Routines:

Set Goals at the Start of your Workday (whenever that may be)

Setting goals at the start of your workday is one of the fundamental habits of successful people.

First, give yourself a list of choices.

If you meditate and exercise then make it an either or choice. Give yourself plenty of flexibility so you don’t feel in a forced rut.

If you are a night owl—then try to get the bulk of your work done at night. You can even work this around deadlines you have with clients if you work smart.

Choose the beginning of the week for prioritizing your schedule for rest of the week. Mondays can be for that.

If you are the type of person that likes weekends off—this is a great way to make it feel as if you have another off day to just reorganize your week! This will give you the energy you need for what you need to do the rest of the week. You would be surprised at the psychological impact a Monday has.

There has been songs made about it like “Manic Monday” etc… so, you know that if you view Mondays as a hectic day—then it will be. If you are this type of person—make it a better Monday by using it as a lead in to the week and not a fully fledged business day.

You may just see that your week is a lot better and you are so much more productive. This way, the weekend can be yours. All yours.

Creative Work May Be Best When Tired

When you’re tired, sometimes you may fare better doing whatever creative work you have. Make sure you are putting off any strenuous administrative work at that time. Now, your body clock will tell you a lot of things. One, it will tell you when to sleep, eat and work.

You may or may not have the luxury to do everything according to your body clock. If you can though, listen to it as much as possible. Even if it’s one to two times a day. You’ll feel so much better and think so much clearer if you aren’t working through hunger or fighting off tired.

Watch Your Alarm Clock

Believe it or not—the way we wake up has a lot to do with the alarm clock sounds we wake up to. That incredibly harsh generic alarm clock sound can send waves of stress through our body’s.

The best alarm clocks are those that mimic nature like chirping birds or water falls or pleasant classical or meditation music. (See one here)

Winding Down from Work

Winding down from work takes a routine that works for you specifically. and successfully disengages you from the work day.

Winding down from work takes a routine that works for you specifically. The best advice out there is to disengage from the work day. This means all electronic equipment being turned off. After a certain hour, no notifications are on and nothing gets checked.

Make sure that if you have family that may need to get to you that you have a certain ring tone for them as well as a text tone. This way, if you need to speak to them you can and ignore the rest. It’s important that we are closed off from the world at night. Sleep and total relaxation before bedtime is essential.

If you have some issues winding down from work, practicing mindfulness may help. Read this post, How to Practice Mindfulness to find out more about mindfulness and how to use it to help you achieve greater success and happiness.

Write in a Journal

Yes write in a non business journal. Do the “Dear Diary” type of personal journaling and make it positive. Write your gratitude for what you have accomplished and not only that—what you have taken for granted that you have in your life right now.

It doesn’t matter how silly it looks or sounds. It doesn’t matter how large or small it is. It can be about the weather was great today and I am so grateful.

My kid brought home a B on their report card and I am so grateful today. I have healthy senses to hear and see all the beauty around me on my walk today—I am so grateful for that! After you’ve done this for so long—maybe a matter of weeks—you’ll see a change—a big change.

Being an entrepreneur or a successful business person is more about how you take care of yourself than it is about any business strategy. It’s a general lifestyle because each thing will affect something else. You are made successful by being clear minded and focused on what you need to accomplish.

You can’t be an innovator if you are battling sleep deprivation or malnutrition. If we have ill health of the body, mind or spirit we cannot be fruitful. It’s interesting and comforting to know that from the least to the best entrepreneurs the advice is not that different at all.

Set Aside Time for Reading (Non-fiction)

Successful people are never too busy to read.

They make sure reading is a priority. They may read newspapers and blogs on the way to work. They often set aside time to read nonfiction in the evenings.

A big part of staying successful is staying informed and they need to do all this reading to keep informed on all latest information.

Most successful entrepreneurs have read the books on this entrepreneur book list, as well as many of the other choices from the complete 250 book list. Be sure to check out these great books. See what you have read and what could still help you to grow your education.

Please share your thoughts on the daily habits of successful people in the comments below. Feel free to share your views on success and what daily habits will help you to achieve the success you desire.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Though it has its roots in Buddhist meditation, a secular practice of mindfulness has entered the American mainstream in recent years, in part through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which he launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. Since that time, thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general and MBSR in particular, inspiring countless programs to adapt the MBSR model for schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans centers, and beyond.

Motivation Monday

Up and at ‘em! Morning people are successful people. Just ask any CEO, politician, professional athlete or inventor out there – they all start their day at the crack of dawn, gaining a leg up on the competition. Create a routine and stick with it. Studies prove that willpower is the strongest in the morning before exhaustion and other priorities get in your way. Adopt a morning ritual and you will start to see BIG results. So hold off hitting that snooze button and read up on some tips to guarantee a more productive future!

1. Get Up An Hour Early:

There is a 25th hour in the day. You’ve just been sleeping through it. Getting up an hour earlier is going to take time to adjust to, but once you make it a habit, you will never look back. Research has shown, not only are early risers more optimistic and conscientious, they also anticipate problems and minimize them more efficiently. Which of course is crucial to success in the business world.

2. Visualize!

Early hours foster reflection. Enjoy the quiet and take some time to map out your day. Think through your goals and to-dos. Take whatever notes you need to ensure your day will be calmer and more efficient. Research has shown that even two minutes of visualization and positive thinking can improve your mood and clarity for the entire day ahead.

3. Eat Breakfast:

Time is a luxury, enjoy it and feed yourself a wholesome breakfast. Sit down with your family and enjoy a hearty bowl of oatmeal. Fuel your body for the tasks that lay ahead of you. It will help you maintain a steady focus throughout the day.

4. Say Buh-Bye To THAT One Big Task:

Reprioritize your to-do list, placing the most dreaded task at the top of your list. Instead of letting it loom over you all day save yourself the agony and stress and get it done first thing. You will feel a sense of relief and be more ready and willing to tackle any trivial task that follows. Besides, the morning is the time when you typically have the most energy and feel the most rested. Sounds like a win-win to me!

5. Motivational Mantra:

Step One – Dig deep and find out what inspires you. Step Two – Create a mantra. Step Three – Repeat that same saying to yourself every morning. Step Four – Breathe and relax. You will feel more motivated and focused than ever before.

6. Get Moving:

Morning workouts not only give you a boost of energy, they pump you up, ensuring your senses are up and running. You’ll feel ready to tackle any problem that comes your way. Studies have shown that people are less likely to come up with excuses early in the morning. So with fewer interruptions, you now have no excuse not to set your alarm 15 minutes early and sneak in a quick jog or a 5 minute workout. There’s even an app, Hot5 Fitness, that features easy and effective full body workouts.

7. Pack Snacks!

Eating fuels your brain, improving focus, productivity and memory. Plan your snacks ahead of time and drop some bars into your bag. I opt for a protein-filled KIND Bar which is completely natural and prevents my blood sugar from dropping. Smart snacking is critical for keeping your metabolism going and your brain working at full capacity through your busy day.

8. Toss It!

Learn to let go of the things that are cluttering your life. It’s one thing to try to clear your mind, but sometimes you have to physically toss something to feel lighter. So get rid of something – old magazines, junk mail, apps on your phone, old receipts or papers and watch how your attitude changes throughout the day. Our lives get cluttered so easily, but they can become uncluttered just as fast. Remember that.

9. Go To Bed Early:

If you want to watch one more episode on Netflix think again. Getting the proper amount of sleep is critical to not only your mental health and creativity but to weight control. When your biorhythms are off it wreaks havoc on your entire system. Getting the proper sleep your body needs sets you up for success in everything else you want to achieve. So rest up, you have much to accomplish tomorrow!

10. Silence:

Waking up early offers you opportunities that few get to enjoy – watch the sun rise, hear the sound of birds chirping, and just be still. We are always on the move. Sit and enjoy the morning calm. It’s a brief time where you can be alone with your thoughts. Just breathe.